filmy

/ˈfɪlmi/

//ˈfɪlmi// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"filmy" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“filmy” is uncommon English (frequency #81,327 among 18,613 “F” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,327
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Resembling or made of a thin film; gauzy.

Key facts for filmy
PropertyValue
Headwordfilmy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɪlmi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#81,327
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “filmy” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). filmy lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

filmy is uncommon English at frequency #81,327 among 18,613 “F” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈfɪlmi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

filmy has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From film + -y. Cognate with Middle Dutch velmich, vilmich (“filmy, membranous”). Doublet of filmic. The correct English form is filmy, spelled F-I-L-M-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Resembling or made of a thin film; gauzy.
  2. 2
    Covered by (or as if by) a film; hazy.
  3. 3
    Filmlike; resembling a motion picture.

Etymology

From film + -y. Cognate with Middle Dutch velmich, vilmich (“filmy, membranous”). Doublet of filmic.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "filmy"?
"filmy" is spelled F-I-L-M-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɪlmi/.
What does "filmy" mean?
As an adjective, "filmy" means: Resembling or made of a thin film; gauzy.
How do you pronounce "filmy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "filmy" is /ˈfɪlmi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "filmy"?
From film + -y. Cognate with Middle Dutch velmich, vilmich (“filmy, membranous”). Doublet of filmic. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “filmy”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is F-I-L-M-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfɪlmi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list